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Goth Coloring Books

Adult coloring has been a huge trend recently. My mother, who has loved coloring books for years and years, has been delighted by the number of books that suddenly have appeared everywhere, from book stores to craft stores to our local grocery store. Theyre supposed to be good relaxation tools, and I think they certainly are.



Personally I love them because I like to have something to do with my hands while Im watching movies or television or listening to audiobooks or podcasts (I often think I should pick up knitting, but I find that I cant pay attention to a movie and to knitting at the same time.). Since Ive been trying to watch more movies recently, Ive dug into my coloring books and found them perfectly suited.

Anyway, here are my picks for Goth coloring books:










Note: while not especially Gothy itself, Jillian Venters (blogger and author behind Gothic Charm School) also has a fantasy-themed coloring book out which you can get here.

Do you all use coloring books? Which are your favorites?

Available link for download

Gothic to Goth Romantic Era Fashion Its Legacy at the Wadsworth Atheneum

Yesterday, two of my good friends and I decided to take the forty-five minute drive to Hartford, Connecticut to see an exhibit at the Wadsworth Atheneum entitled Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy. One of my friends had actually heard about it from the curator during the planning stages a few years back, so we were excited to see how it actually panned out.

 To preface this, Im not only a Goth (as evidenced by this whole blog,) but Im graduating in a week with my BA in History and Art History. One of my biggest areas of interest is the Gothic Revival during the nineteenth century, and after a couple of years of working I will be returning to graduate school to pursue a Masters and then PhD. So, I have double-vested interest in this museum exhibit. Just thought I would put all my cards on the table before we begin.


The Wadsworth Atheneum is a museum which houses lots of different kinds of art, from pre-Medieval all the way up through contemporary. Its housed in a neo-Gothic, castle-like building on Main Street in Hartford.

(The "OMG," as I later discovered, is not just tacky signage, but also an instillation by a contemporary artist Jack Pierson. The website calls it a "colorful and engaging addition to the museum’s historic, Gothic-revival façade." I call it tacky, but what do I know.)

It has really nice galleries as far as I can tell, and I enjoyed wandering through. The Gothic to Goth exhibit is on the third floor. We started there and wound our way down through the rest of the exhibits.

No photography was allowed in the exhibit. Fortunately, I have a propensity for breaking the rules (especially stupid ones, but more on that at a later date) and snapped a couple of photos. If I get tracked by the FBI and have to remove these photos, sorry in advance.

The overall space was a little bit confusing to me. It wasnt chronological, but it also wasnt entirely thematic. It seemed to sprawl, taking paintings from the first decades of the nineteenth century and sitting them alongside dresses from the 1860s. There was very little sign posting about where you were supposed to begin or end (and you could entirely work backwards, if you didnt have any idea what you were doing.)

Also, it seems weird to me to title the exhibit "Gothic to Goth" and not talk about, you know, actual Gothic art from the Medieval period, but what do I know.

Side note: the dress that they use in the promotional shots, the blue and black one, is one of the most gorgeous dresses I have ever seen, hands-down. It also has an amazing Chantilly lace shawl with it from 1850 and I am stunned that it is in such good condition. Honestly the exhibit was worth $5 for me just to see that dress.

So, I have quibbles about the lay out and the history, but then again Ive worked in museums before and I like history, so for other people that might not be as big of an issue. If youre just here to see examples of gorgeous clothing and art, youll probably enjoy the exhibit. We all loved looking at the clothing and art regardless of the way it was presented.

Except, for readers of this blog, the "Goth" bit.

The exhibit wraps around in a circle and ends with talking about modern Romantic Revivals, which was a tiny room with very little context whatsoever. There were Steampunk pieces, two Alexander McQueen dresses, a painting from the 18th century (again, what the hell is chronology?), a dress by Helene Hayes, and two "Goth" ensembles."

"Goth."

You know when youre watching one of those videos (probably by Buzzfeed) where someone who is not a Goth tries on Goth clothing and it never looks quite right? Even if they were wearing something that a Goth might conceivably wear, something about the styling makes it seem off? Thats what these were like. They were assembled by Jean Paul Gaultier of all people.

Something about them is weird to me, possibly because theyre so unrepresentative of Goth fashion as a whole? Rather than showing the diversity of Goth looks (or even the earlier 1980s ones that were more punk inspired), we see these. Theres also very little mention of the music or political history of Goth, which I feel misrepresents the subculture. I probably wouldnt be as bemused by them if it werent for this, excerpted from the catalog:

"Intertwined with the New Romantics, Goth reached its height in subculture fashion in the mid-1980s. Although Goth street style has since faded, some followers remain loyal, and the fashion aesthetic has never disappeared."

Hm. Okay. Goth "reached its height" in the 1980s, "faded," and only has "some" loyal followers. Right. Totally makes sense.

Also, now Im nit-picking, but Jean in all his glory decided to add this Hot Topic wallet to the ensemble on the right and it clashes so much and is so desperately mall-Goth that Im laughing.

Do I seem bitter or annoyed in this post? I dont really mean to, but I remain somewhat disappointed by the representation of Goth here. Goth has been represented in a lot of museum exhibits, including Gothic Dark Glamour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which I own the accompanying book to and which I feel accurately captured so much of the subculture. So, academics and curators outside of Goth can write about Goth, but the curators of this exhibit chose not to. And thats sad.

So, would I recommend it? That entirely depends. If you want to see gorgeous period clothing, learn something (but take it with a grain of salt) and laugh a little about the continual misrepresentation of Goth, yes. I had a good afternoon out at it anyway, and Im told the Wadsworth has free admission hours. So, if youre in the area, it might be worth it to you! (Also, Im a sucker and bought the catalog, so evidently I was not so offended by it as maybe I seem now.)

Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy runs until July 10, 2016. If you want to learn more, you can read about it on their website there.

So, would you go to this exhibit? If you were in charge of a museum exhibit about Goth, how would you go about it?

Available link for download

Goth Teens and Depression An Open Letter to Parents

To the parents of Goth teenagers,

Hello, my name is Mary Rose. Im a blogger here at The Everyday Goth and I discuss fashion, decor, music, literature, the social scene, and other facets of the Goth subculture. Im a twenty-one year old student, employee, daughter, and sibling who has been in the Goth subculture for almost a decade now, and I want to talk to you about your Goth child.

The reason youre here, my guess being, is because of an article discussing the recent findings of the Lancet. For those of you not in the know, the British academic journal The Lancet published a study which reported that out of about 3,000 teenagers who were studied at both ages 15 and 18, those who identified with the label "Goth" in their self-reported questionnaires were more likely to be depressed at 15 and self-harm at 18 than their peers who chose other labels, including "chavs," "populars," "sporty," and others.

Of course, this kind of study prompts all kinds of ill-informed, scare-mongering articles from various news publications. I myself was invited onto BBC World Service radio to discuss the study and while I stand by the points I made, I thought I would reiterate them for those of you who werent listening to the radio at six in the morning GMT.

The moment I heard about this article I knew what was going to happen. Firstly, I was going to get an e-mail from a young goth reader saying "Im a Goth and my parents think Im depressed so theyre not letting me be a Goth anymore, but Im not depressed. What do I do?" Or, even worse, "Im a Goth and I do have depression but my parents are blaming my depression on being a Goth, so theyre not letting me be a Goth but my depression is still going untreated. What do I do?"

You can imagine my distress with these kinds of e-mails. Theres only so much I can suggest that these young Goths do. So, I wanted to write this letter to parents of Goth teenagers directly.

First and foremost, lets talk about what Goth is and is not. Goth is a subculture which came out of the United Kingdom in the 1980s as an offshoot of the dwindling punk movement. Goths are characterized by an interest in Goth music, darker fashion and aesthetic choices, and an appreciation for the darker side of beauty. You might recognize famous Goths in the media, such as the character Abby Scuito from the investigative television show NCIS, but many shows, especially those geared at kids and teenagers, have some kind of alternative, Gothy character. Goths come in all races, from all countries, and are of all ages (yes, even career-holding adults!)

The music that started it all might already be familiar to you, depending on your age. Famous groups include The Cure (with their famous Friday Im in Love) and Depeche Mode (which British football fans will know from the Celtic anthem, Just Cant Get Enough) but there are, of course, more obscure groups as well. What defines Goth music is a complicated question and there is a lot of overlap in genres. Generally speaking, the genre involves a lot of emotional rawness in the lyrics, a certain reliance on 80s synthesizes, and a minor key.

You can look up "what is goth" articles and videos from many different Goths online and every one that Ive found agrees with me on this next point: Goth does not endorse or encourage depression and destructive behaviors including self-harm, violence, or drug abuse. This stereotype is perpetuated by a scaremongering media with their own agendas, but it is just a stereotype.

Goths can and do lead normal, productive, happy lives. We go to school (and many of us do quite well,) we get married, we have careers, we have kids, we go to the grocery store, we go to church, we vote. Were normal people. Part of the reason I chose the moniker "The Everyday Goth" was to make the point that Im a Goth and a normal human being. A student, an employee, a daughter, a friend.

So, I would ask that concerned parents of Goth teenagers not make assumptions about your childs mental health just because of this study.

Mental health stigma has lead to a lot of misconceptions about depression, that its just being sad all the time, or that one can just snap out of it. If youd like to learn more about depression, Id recommend listening to this lecture by Andrew Solomon, Depression, the Secret We Share and doing your own reading to help explain what depression is, where it comes from (hint: not wearing all black and listening to Bauhaus), and what can be done about it.

The Lancet study does not show that a teenager will become depressed just because they become a Goth. There are many other ways that this kind of correlation can come about, including that teenagers who are already depressed join the subculture in search of community and emotional support.

You see, the Goth subculture is full of people who have considered themselves "alternative" to the norm so we find comfort in each other--we are self-proclaimed freaks, weirdos, geeks, and creeps. We know what its like to have people at school or at the office, or even just on the street, make rude comments about our appearances. Theres a collective understanding of what its like to be mocked for being different. The music we listen to is emotionally raw and shows an understanding of the darker side of life, so the subculture tends to have a very emotionally open atmosphere. In Goth, its okay to admit youve had a bad day, or want to vent, and theres a great support network there for you whether you be venting on online communities like Tumblr or while sharing poetry with your friends in real life.

But, that being said, the media stereotype has caused a lot of negativity towards Goths which has some unpleasant side effects. Certain depressive conditions and self-harm can be caused (or at least exacerbated) by bullying, and Goth teenagers are often bullied more than their "popular" or "sporty," classmates. Many parents I know are terrified that their child will be bullied because theyre a Goth. Thats completely understandable, there are only so many things you can do when you send your child to school or camp or a youth program where kids are merciless and picky. However, if you try to stamp your childs Gothness out of them you are just going to become another bullying, oppressive force in your childs life. Thats not a way to cultivate a good relationship with your child even if you have their best interests at heart.

Instead? Let your child know that you are on their side. Defend them if another relative or one of your friends makes a negative comment about their appearance. Stand up for your child and be clear that you support them. Dont make dismissive comments about it being a phase. If you would like, do some reading on your own and study up on what Goth is. Gothic Charm School by Jillian Venters and What Is Goth? by Aurelio Voltaire are great books on the subject.

All Im asking really is that if, as a parent, youre concerned about the mental health of your child, listen to them and support them before jumping to conclusions drawn from this study. That is the only way to be sure that youre taking care of your young Goths mental health.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at theeverydaygoth@yahoo.com and Id be happy to discuss your child or your concerns about the Goth subculture.

Best,

Mary Rose,
The Everyday Goth

Available link for download

Goth Festival Wear with RebelsMarket

Its about to snow up here in Massachusetts, but ignoring that it is almost summer and almost festival season. Whether youre looking for something to wear to a gig this year or if you just want some ideas for Goth clothing that wont kill you in the summer heat, I love these looks.



All of these outfits were all put together with clothing from RebelsMarket, the amazing people who helped me run the Gothic ring giveaway just last year. They have a lot of alternative clothing in stock from all different sellers, including some that specialize in gothic clothing. So, thank you to them (watch this spot, we might have a new giveaway coming up soon) and lets get right into the looks:

This first one is a pretty easy look with a Mistress of the Macabre tank top and shorts, which I just added accessories to. Festival clothing doesnt have to be too elaborate to look great. The shorts are velvet but because of how short they are and because theyre on the lower half of your body, they shouldnt boil you alive like a velvet jacket would.  I love the cross choker on this look, too.

Available link for download

Goth Blogging 101 Creating a Content Schedule

So, heres a little secret for you: For the past few months, this blog has been running on posts that I batch-wrote back in May. In the course of a few weeks I wrote over fifty posts for this blog so that it would never run out of content if I became busy with work and couldnt write at the time. How was I able to do this?

Available link for download

Goth Blogging 101 How Often to Post

This week Ive decided to resuscitate my Goth Blogging 101 series where I throw out some advice that answer common questions I get about how to get started as a Goth blogger. Previous posts in this series include Picking a Name for your Goth Blog and Generating Ideas for Your Goth Blog.


When youre getting started with a Goth blog, you probably have an idea of what kind of posts youre going to do. Are they going to be outfit posts? DIY tutorials? Longer articles? Diary-style? All of these posts take different amount of times to create and will result in a different posting schedule.  Generally speaking, the less time it takes to make the post, the more frequently youll be able to (if you want.)

An outfit blog can update every day if you can find enough time to take a picture and write down the details. On the other hand, you might not create a DIY project even every week so that kind of posting would be more rare and sporadic. Writing longer articles can take a while to do but can be done on a more regular basis than tutorials.

Add to that the amount of editing and processing youre doing. Add time to edit your post and reread for spelling and grammar mistakes (I still struggle with this occasionally.) If your blog posts include video, including the time it takes to edit and upload the video into your overall production time will help give you a better idea of how often its reasonable, ditto for pictures.

Most of us who are in the Goth blogging scene do a mixture of lots of kinds of posts. We might do more posts that take less time (like outfit posts) and only a few posts that take a long time (like longer tutorials, videos, etc.) and fill up the rest of the time with articles and personal posts.

So, what does that mean for you, if you run a mixed-content blog? In the beginning, I would recommend starting with a simple goal: one post a week.

One post a week isnt extremely difficult to keep up with, especially if you schedule it for a day youre not working or in school, like the weekend. Having that schedule keeps you consistent while you figure out your writing style and how long your posts take to do. You might even discover, at first, that this is pretty easy to do so you can build up a backlog of queued posts to fall back on when youre less enthusiastic, super busy, or what have you.

Over time, you might decide you want to post more or less frequently. A good friend of mine who runs a non-Goth fashion blog was talking to me and she said that she only writes a post when she has inspiration for it. Why, she reasoned, commit to writing something if I dont have something to say? Of course, for SEO reasons and readership-building reasons its good not to go too-long between posts (currently kicking myself for my beginning of year hiatus) but if you dont care about those things, this isnt at all a bad model.

As odd as it sounds, having more posts scheduled per week made it easier for me to write up posts. Why? Because it takes the pressure off. Oftentimes I would come up with an idea and I would think to myself, I only have 52 posts to make this year. Is this really good enough to be one of them? And then I would procrastinate. Now that I have two posts a week, one of them can be a shorter, fun post without making me feel like Ive wasted an opportunity to be profound.

If you are a Goth blogger, how often do you post? Do you have a schedule or prefer to keep it spontaneous?

If you arent a Goth blogger, how often do you read a particular blogs posts? How many posts do you think are too few? Too many?

Available link for download

Goth Planner Facebook Group

Hey guys! After reading some comments on last weeks post, I thought it would be a great idea to make a Facebook group for Gothy types to talk about paper planners. Im open to whatever people want to talk about in the group but I imagine it will be a lot of #plannerproblems, showing off spreads, posting links to cool planner things you found, or what-have-you. If youre interested, the link is below:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1067878423256124/

Please feel free to join!

Available link for download

Goth in All White

As I posted about a few weeks ago, I had to wear white this past Saturday to participate in a 100 year old college tradition called Laurel Parade. Yeah. A Goth wearing white. Tragic.


As a part of graduation weekend, the seniors wear all white (plus accessories in our class color, blue) and then carry a long laurel chain to wrap around the grave of the college founder. We are joined on all sides by alumnae dating back to 1946 and beyond who are on campus for their reunions. When there, we sing the school song and Bread and Roses in tribute to labor strikes from the early 20th century.

An alumnae class processes in their class color, red.

Its a wonderful tradition and it was very emotional to walk with my best friends and be greeted on all sides by alumnae, the perfect first step to graduating.

Friends!

And then, on Sunday, I graduated cum laude in History and Art History . Whoo!

Available link for download